This countertop in our favorite donut shop always reminds me that the pandemic took things from us and, so far, has not given them back. This is the second location for this shop - Mama C's donuts moved from its original shop probably ten years ago. The old shop had a counter that served as a meeting spot for a cast of older gentlemen that, I'm sure, solved the world's problems on a weekly basis. It usually had a few newspapers strewn about, among plates and coffee mugs. The owner, presumably the eponymous Mama C, was always quick to refill their coffee and keep the conversation going.
When the shop moved to its new location, they installed the counter in this photo, presumably to ease the transition for their regulars. And it worked. I remember catching bits and pieces of their conversations in the new shop while waiting in line during weekend donut runs. The problem solvers were still at work, just tackling things from a new side of the street.
Then Covid hit and the doors closed. Once Mama C's reopened, the counter was blocked off (and the floor was marked with x's to ensure customers maintained social distance while waiting in line). Since then, most things, of course, have returned to mostly normal. But some things never have, and this counter reminds me of that every time we get donuts. It's just a storage area now, a shell of its former role as the place where all of the world's problems were solved, week after week.
Maybe someday I'll ask if I can take a seat, have a coffee, and read my newspaper.
